Effects of various conditions of semen storage on the acrosin system of human spermatozoa.
Stability of the human sperm acrosin system (major components: non-zymogen acrosin, proacrosin and acrosin inhibitor) was studied under various conditions of semen storage used clinically or in the laboratory. Freezing at -196 degrees C caused a profound decrease in total acrosin content and in the amount of this enzyme present in zymogen form (proacrosin), but resulted in some increase in non-zymogen acrosin. Acrosin inhibitor did not appear to be significantly affected by this treatment. No relationship was present between the decreases in sperm motility induced by freezing to -196 degrees C and the alterations in total acrosin, proacrosin and non-zymogen acrosin. Storage of whole semen at -20 degrees C had deleterious effects on all the components of the acrosin system measured except for non-zymogen acrosin. Major decreases in the total acrosin, proacrosin and acrosin inhibitor occurred after only 1 day at -20 degrees C and continued slowly thereafter. Whole semen kept at room temperature for up to 24 h after ejaculation did not show any significant changes in the sperm acrosin system. Seminal plasma did not have a detrimental or stabilizing effect of acrosin and proacrosin when spermatozoa were kept at room temperature. However, removal of seminal plasma and re-suspension of spermatozoa in 0.9% NaCl resulted n the liberation of a significant amount of the acrosin inhibitor from the spermatozoa and the apparent activation of some of the proacrosin to acrosin.
D000176:Acrosin / Q000378:metabolism*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012662:Semen Preservation; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000201:enzymology*; D013696:Temperature
D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D010450:Endopeptidases; C022438:proacrosin; D000176:Acrosin